Rune Blade

A Rune Blade (ルーンブレード, Rune Blade^?) is a Long Sword-class weapon Artifact introduced in Golden Sun: The Lost Age and featured in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

In Golden Sun: The Lost Age

Rune Blade (TLA)
Visual effect of Void Beam
In-Game Description
"Long Sword: Unleashes Void Beam" (TLA)
Trade Info
Weapon class	Long Sword
Buy value	15000
Sell value	11250
Artifact?	Yes
Statistic Boosts
Attack Boost	162
Unleash effect
Effect name	Void Beam
Extra damage	57
Side effect	May seal the target's Psynergy
Acquisition
• Random drop from Lesser Demon (TLA)

In The Lost Age, a Rune Blade can be acquired as a rare drop item when felling a Lesser Demon monster that appears randomly in the dungeon Magma Rock. It can be equipped by Felix, Piers, Isaac, and Garet. Its Unleash effect is Void Beam (ボイドエナジー, Void Energy^?), with the standard base activation rate of 35%, which is a physical attack with an additional 57 points of damage added, and then the resulting damage is either increased or decreased based on how the user's Jupiter power measures against the target's Jupiter resistance. In addition, the effect may seal the target's Psynergy. The Void Beam visually resembles the wielder summoning a 3D hologram of a symbol that draws itself in front of him as the camera swirls around the battlefield, and the symbol generates a thick white-purple beam that pierces through the target.

From an endgame perspective, as a Long Sword with a Jupiter unleash, this sword falls to the Excalibur, whose 18 more Attack points, 16 more damage points, and chance to triple the resultant damage (rather than sealing Psynergy) all completely dwarf this weapon's aspects.

In The Lost Age, the Rune Blade is technically identical to the Mythril Blade in every aspect save for the fact the Rune Blade's Unleash effect is based on the Jupiter element instead of the Mythril Blade's Mercury-based Unleash. However, while there is a Mercury Adept warrior like Piers to equip the Mythril Blade for easily enhanced damage, it is harder to optimize the Rune Blade's damage potential because there are no Jupiter Adept warriors that are able to equip Long Sword-class weapons; it is at its optimum only if wielded by a Venus or Mars Adept as a War Adept. It is a good upgrade to the previous Jupiter-based weapon you will most likely find, the Phaeton's Blade, and it might end up being in the party's inventory at the game's end if the player is not playing to collect all the strongest weapons, but it is not at all an ultimate weapon like the Jupiter-based Excalibur.

RNG manipulation in The Lost Age

1st Round (Big Arrow on the Lesser Demon):

• Felix casts Clay Spire.
• Jenna casts Aura.
• Sheba casts Ray.
• Piers casts Frost.

2nd Round:

• Sheba unleashes Whorl.
• Everyone else attacks the other monster.

In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

Rune Blade (DD)
The DS model of the Rune Blade
In-Game Description
"Weapon: Long Sword" (DD)
Trade Info
Weapon class	Long Sword
Buy value	15000
Sell value	11250
Artifact?	Yes
Statistic Boosts
Attack Boost	162
First Unleash effect
Effect name	Life Nourish
Extra damage	25
Side effect	May heal the user by the amount of damage dealt
Second Unleash effect
Effect name	Vorpal Slash
Extra damage	16
Side effect	Hits each adjacent foe
Third Unleash effect
Effect name	Void Beam
Extra damage	57
Side effect	May Seal the target's Psynergy
Acquisition
• Reforge Rusty Sword found in the shallow spot south of Yamata City in the Eastern Sea (DD)

In Dark Dawn, the Rune Blade is forged from a Rusty Sword found in the shallow patch south of Yamata. To gain the proper Rune Blade, the player must take the Rusty Sword to Obaba, who will reforge the Rusty Sword into the Rune Blade free of charge. The Rune Blade can be equipped by Matthew and Tyrell. It gains 2 new unleashes: Life Nourish (ライフナリッシュ, Life Nourish^?) and Vorpal Slash (ウインドウィーゼル, Wind Weasel^?). Void Beam remains the signature unleash.

In Dark Dawn, the Rune Blade can be acquired as soon as the player gains access to the ship. This early availability results in a comparatively high Attack increase for any player, while its overall power means that it can remain relevant for much of the game. However, in later portions of the game, it competes with other weapons. In Matthew's case, the Gaia Blade is the most common alternative, due to its Venus affinity. However, the player must complete several plot related quests prior to getting the Gaia Blade, allowing the Rune Blade to be a viable placeholder. As for Tyrell, the player may later choose to give him the Levatine, which gives a greater attack increase and possesses stronger unleashes. Either way, the Rune Blade is still an excellent weapon that will see use while the player is exploring the Eastern Sea.

Gallery of Dark Dawn unleashes

• 

  Life Nourish

• 

  Vorpal Slash

• 

  Void Beam